Gulfport, FL Code Violation Reporting: How to Report (2026)

Once a code inspector confirms a violation, Section 12-19(b) requires the inspector to notify the violator and allow a reasonable time to correct it, based on the nature of the problem; there is no fixed statutory number of days for a first-time, correctable violation. If the deadline passes without correction, the inspector asks the code enforcement clerk, a city employee appointed under Section 12-16, to schedule a hearing before a special master and serve written notice of it. A repeat violation, defined in Section 12-14 as the same violation by the same person within five years, skips the correction period entirely: the inspector can go straight to scheduling a hearing under Section 12-19(c).

If the inspector believes a violation is a serious threat to public health, safety or welfare, or is irreparable or irreversible, Section 12-19(d) allows an immediate hearing request. Section 12-22 spells out what the hearing notice must contain, including the inspector's name, a factual description of the violation, the section of the code allegedly violated, and the violator's right to an attorney and to present evidence, with the hearing set no sooner than 10 days after the notice is served. The special master, a state-licensed attorney appointed by the city manager under Section 12-18, holds hearings monthly, under oath and open to the public, and can affirm or reverse the inspector's determination, assess civil penalties, and order compliance steps under Section 12-22(m).